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Student profile

Michael Hung

Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws

"International law firms in Hong Kong regard a UNSW law degree very highly."

My fourth year was a very challenging but rewarding year for me as a law student. I completed the commerce component of my degree the year before, so fourth year study was purely law. Studying Federal Constitutional Law at the same time as competing in the National Harry Gibbs Constitutional Law Moot was quite an experience. The competition motivated me to grapple with the constitutional principles, to research in-depth the interaction between division of powers between the State and the Federal government, not to mention mooting on the floor of the Victorian Supreme Court in the Grand Finals - definitely one of the highlights for me!

Mid year, I undertook a four week vacation placement with international law firm Allen & Overy in their Hong Kong office. It was the first time I had been to Hong Kong, and it was certainly an eye-opener working and sight-seeing in the most vibrant financial centre in Asia. I found that the international law firms in Hong Kong regard a law degree from UNSW very highly; Australian law graduates who have multilingual skills and an aptitude for cross-cultural legal work are usually highly sought after.

On top of the substantive work, I also had a great time interacting and making friends with law students from Oxford, Cambridge, London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Hong Kong. Exchanging ideas while working in a stimulating environment with real cases and real people was more than what I could ever ask for.

For my final year I am particularly looking forward to completing an internship with the Australian Law Reform Commission as part of the Law School's Public Interest Internship Program. I have been assigned to work on the Legal Professional Privilege inquiry - it will be my first taste of working in the public sector, and a great chance to observe law reform in action.